How could they
endure this horror, day in and day out, for weeks and for months? In a
few hours he would have to meet his fellow officers and the men. They
could not fail to read in his face all this that he carried in his
heart.
By his grey, haggard face he knew that the same horror and fear had gone
deep into his friend's soul. There came to him the sudden thought that
Cameron, too, must meet his fellow officers, and must endure their
searching chaff, and that he would reveal himself to his undoing; for
no man can ever live down in his battalion the whisper that he is
a "quitter." That very night Cameron would be forced to lead up his
platoon into the front line, and must lead them step by step over that
same Vlammertinghe road, where the transports were nightly shelled. In
the presence of any danger soever, he must not falter. When the shells
would begin to fall, he knew well how the eyes of his men would turn to
their leader and search his very soul to see of what quality he was.
Far better a man should die than falter.
Pages:
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373